LES NOTRES opens with the 5-year term mayor, Jean-Marc Ricard of the Quebec town Sainte-Adeline giving a speech during a ceremony for the opening of a local park, the Saint Germaine.He is well respected and has a photo taken of is family, as he claims.It does no take a genius to guess that something is afoot, and perhaps this mayor is up to no good.Director Leblanc plays her cards well s her somewhat brilliant small-town drama unfolds.This opening scene, if one examines carefully after watching the film, is one that takes place after the story not before.
The film is set in the tight-knit community of Sainte-Adeline, Quebec, where everyone knows everyone else and gossip moves around really fast and is deadly.Magalie (Émilie Bierre) appears as a normal suburban high school sophomore surrounded by friends.Magalie collapses one day in her dance class and a doctor’s examination reveals his popular teenage girl is harbouring a shocking secret: she’s pregnant. Her mother is informed and word spreads.When Magalie refuses to identify the father, suspicions among the townsfolk come to a boiling point and the layers of a carefully maintained social varnish eventually crack.As said, it does not takegenius to guess that the father is the mayor, the fact revealed after the film’s 30-minute mark.Mr. Ricard is clearly the bad guy in the story, preying sexually on under-aged girls and clearly deserving of no mercy.Director Leblanc makes that clear and the audience despises this evil sorry excuse of a human being from the first sight of the pudgy man.
The story is seen from two points of view - those of Magalie and of her mother.Director Leblanc dishes out the details, without any judgement with the audience being sympathetic to both sides.When they argue, one could take either side, as both have the right to feel angry and unappreciated.
There are many moving scenes and these are what makes the movie such a compelling watch.One occurs when mother an daughter arrive home after the mother discovers the pregnancy.The babysitter of the little brother remarks: “Your son was very well behaved.”
Or the exchange of words between the social worker, Patrice and the mother: “I am looking out for her best interest.”Her retort: “I have been doing that for the past 13 years.”Or the mother to daughter when first told of the pregnancy:”I don’t understand.”Daughter’s reply: “I am sorry.”
The emotions run wild.Bothmother and daughter do not know how to deal with the situation.One moment the mother tells the daughter that she loves her and the next she is screaming at her in order to find out who the father is.The 13-year old has mixed feelings, too young to realize that the father has no intention of loving her or keeping the baby, while she is doting on him.All these questions are left to the climax of the film, which I can only reveal as a very powerful one.
The small yet brilliant LES NOTRES gets my vote for Best Canadian film of the year!
THE MERCY OF THE JUNGLE (France/Belgique 2018) ***1/2
Directed by Joël Karekezi
THE MERCY OF THE JUNGLE premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival back in 2018 but now gets its North American premiere through Film Movement Plus.(See below).It is a well-made film from Rwandan director, Joël Karekezi (his second feature) covering many key and current world (the central Africa conflict between the Congolese and fighter rebels) as well as the personal issues of its two main characters.
The film follows two soldiers accidentally left behind by their comrades during the Second Congo War.One is a seasoned war veteran, a sergeant, Xavier (Marc Zinga) who has lost both his dignity and faith in mankind.The other is a young Faustin (Stephane Bak) who is a peasant boy, suddenly finding himself stuck in the midst of a bloody war.Xavier’s wife is dead while Faustin’s (wife) is pregnant.It is a good concept and the entire film sees the two bonding, thought reluctantly, in order to survive.Both are put in the hands of the war, or fate if one wants to look at the bigger picture.The film’s most moving scene has the two sharing a Marie biscuit.
The two have to find the troops while staying off the road, as their enemies will be ready to slaughter them on the spot.They are at the mercy of the jungle, but not without the jungle’s own threats.Credit goes to cinematographer Joachim Philippe and director Karekezi for an authentic creation of the jungle atmosphere, complete with both wonder and dangers.The shots of sunlight shining through the overhead trees are reminiscent of Akira Kurosawa’ssignature scenes in his Samurai epics.The two face dangerous animals from the sound of trumpeting elephants and a huge ape in the background.They have to deal with the intense heat, the sergeant coming down with a high fever and hallucinations, while being thirsty yet unable to drink the poisoned water found in some streams.At one point, the sergeant drinks from Faustin’s water bottle only to spit out what was Faustin’s urine, which Fasutin was drinking to survive.At the same time, the stunning sights like the natural waterfall and clear streams are also on display in the film.The two are also forced to fend for themselves.Fasutin’s boar trap manages to get them a rabbit for a meal.
As the film draws to its climax and conclusion, Faustin’s coming-of-age story is complete as the audience of Karekezi’s film learn more about the life of two solitary human beings who are not as fortunate as them, living in a cruel and unforgiving world.
How to view this film:
The film premieres from FILM MOVEMENT PLUS. Check the website: filmmovementplus.com.
FILM MOVEMENT PLUS (www.filmmovementplus.com) opens up a world of provocative, compelling and award-winning films from Film Movement’s singular library. Priced at $5.99 per month with a free 30-day trial, the SVOD subscription service, currently available on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, mobile (iOS and Android), and Chromecast, offers consumers immediate access to over 400 festival favorite feature films and 100 short films.
UNDINE is a take of Hans Christian Andersen’s THE LITTLE MERMAID, German director Christian Petzold’s (TRANSIT) style.
Undines are a category of elemental beings associated with water, stemming from the alchemical writings of Paracelsus.Later writers developed the undine into a water nymph in its own right, and it continues to live in modern literature and art through such adaptations as Danish Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" and the Undine of Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué.
Director Petzold plays UNDINE with a constant air of mystery.He keeps the audience guessing as to what is really going on - including the story’s mythical element, which is not disclosed fully until the very end.To this effect, the film has credibility and succeeds as a mythical love story.The film opens with what is a break up between Undine (Paula Bee) and her current boyfriend, Johannes.Petzold also keeps it vague whether the two are just boyfriend or a married couple.One assumes the former as it is hinted that they are not living together.“We have to meet,” is one of their dialogue lines.When Undine threatens Johannes, “If you leave me, I will kill you.” It is unclear at this point whether she really means it or whether these are the words of a somewhat psycho and desperate rejected lover.Petzold’s film moves at a slow snail’s pace but this is not to say it is not without its rewards,The answer to the question is revealed to the audience half way through the film, Hitchcockian-style.
Whether UNDINE is a tragedy or not is left to the viewer to decide (not to reveal any more of the film’s plot).But UNDINE is a terrific romantic drama, similar to, say, Jacques Demy’s LES PARAPLUIES DE CHERBOURG, another incredibly romantic film about mis-matched lovers.
The metaphor of Berlin’s new architecture clearly forms the metaphor of the love story, which is a bit beaten to death by Petzold.
Director Petzold’s characters bear similarities with almost very person in that everyone wants to be happy or live happily ever after, as in fairy tales.Undine wants to be in love and to be loved forever.The obstacle of her ‘curse’ on having to give up her human life is a tragedy that affects not only herself but the others she encounters.So is the real life of many where real unfortunate events prevent happiness.
The film’s shifting of focus from Undine, the protagonist to Christophe in the later part of the film, is a risky play works well in the film’s favour, just as Undine’s lover shifts from one lover to the next.The use of The Bee Gees hit dog “Staying Alive” is a bit tacky considering the serious theme of the film.The soundtrack, however, has a steady stream of Bach.
UNDINE is not the first film paying homage to Andersen’s THE LITTLE MERMAID.Japanese animator Hayao Mizayaki did likewise in his successful animated feature PONYO.This proves the universal appeal of love stories that overcome great obstacles in the name of love.
STRANGE BIRDS is the second feature film from filmmaker Girard (BELLEVILLE TOKYO) which world-premiered in the Berlinale’s Forum, who finally reaches North America on the SVOD Platform on May the 21st.
STRANGE BIRDS is a quirky, absurdist tale of two very different people who forge an unlikely relationship. 27-year-old Mavie (Lolita Chammah, AT ETERNITY’s GATE) -- clumsy, beautiful and full of doubts and looking for her path in life, has just moved to Paris from the provinces. She dreams of a future as a writer, but is plagued by doubt and uncertainty. She has an apartment which is really noisy from the sound of her flat-mate having sex at all hours of the da and night.She seeks an alternative living accommodation and in the process meets 76-year-old misanthrope Georges (Jean Sorel) who runs a bookshop in Paris.She helps to and gets free lodging.George is a secretive and bitter person who sees to have some secret life he had left behind. Georges is cynical and no longer expects much from life, while Mavie is still brimming with expectation.Yet something magical happens between them, until Georges’ dark secret suddenly catches up with him – and Mavie is caught up in something very different.
This is a low budget little feature with not much going on.Yet, it is a charming sophomore effort from director Girard who in her film, shares the beauty of life from her point of view.She is clearly against nuclear plants as nuclear protests are observed throughout her film.When Mavie walks around Paris, she sees dead birds fall dead in front of herThe mystery is revealed to to be the result of the birds being poisoned from eating wasteat a nearly dump, where nuclear waste is discarded.Mavie is charmed by Paris and director Girard paints a quieter and more charming view ofFrance’s capital.The sights of the street on a slope, the insides of little cafes and the tree-lined avenues all contribute to the film’s atmosphere.But the centre of the film is story of the strange relationship between the 27 years old and the 76 year-old.Their ’love’ relationship is described by lines they write to each other.They talk about their imaginary love affair.There is no kissing or frolicking between the two.But they talk about a love that could happen if there had been no age difference.They also talk about children that they could have.Despite them never seen even touching each other, jealousy prevails,When Georges sees Mavie with a younger man, he leaves and never returns.
It is wonderful to see veteran actor Jean Sorel in films again.Sorel was simply one of the most gorgeous actors of his time, becoming noticed after BELLE DE OUR with Catherine Deneuve.Much older in this film, one can still see his charming personality.Virginie Ledoyen has a small supporting role.
Director Girard includes a film clip of Satyajit Ray’s masterpieceCHARULATA about a love relationship between two people who share their love for literature, reflecting Georges and Mavie’s work together in George’s bookshop.
STRANGE BIRDS is an absurdist yet charming romantic drama about a ‘could be’ relationship between two highly different individuals.
MISERICORDE (MISERICORDIA) (France 2024) **** Directed by Alain Giuraudie
Returning to Saint-Martial for his late boss's funeral, Jérémie's stay with widow Martine becomes entangled in a...
